Welcome to Tiffin! We’re so pleased to welcome you to the school and get to know you more; can you tell us a little about your background and career history?
After University I worked as a Management Consultant for 12 years, supporting and then leading large-scale business improvement projects with a wide range of well-known companies. I then spent 5 years as a charity Operations Manager and then 7 years as a School Business Manager in a local school, where I had leadership responsibility for finance, HR, premises, health & safety, IT and admissions.
What attracted you to coming to Tiffin and what are you most looking forward to?
The new COO role seemed a perfect fit for my experience and I am very excited to use my time and energy to help lead this brilliant school into the next chapter of its history. I’m looking forward to working with lots of clever and interesting colleagues, continuing to improve the school’s facilities and to making systems and processes work as well as they can, so that the teachers can focus on teaching while I take care of the rest!
If you weren’t a COO or working in schools, what do you think you would be doing?
I’d probably be running a charity, or working in Organisation Development for a big company.
Do you have any hobbies or interests that you like to partake in outside of work?
I love travelling, cooking, playing the piano and doing (short) Joe Wicks HIIT videos!
What is a current goal of yours?
Improve my skiing so that I can graduate from blue runs to red runs
Is there something in your career that you’re particularly proud of?
In 2012 I managed a global team which organised an event at 10 Downing Street for the leaders of the organisations which sponsored the Olympic Games. As preparation for the event, we interviewed high-profile olympic athletes and their coaches to highlight the parallels between sporting and business success. I didn’t get to meet Gordon Brown but I did go to 10 Downing Street, and I helped write the notes which he used in the meeting.
What were your favourite subjects in school and why?
Maths, English and French. I enjoyed being logical, reading books and talking!
What is one piece of advice that you have taken with you throughout your life/career?
Treat everyone that you work with with respect, whether they are the big boss or a much more junior team member, and always say thank you.
“The new COO role seemed a perfect fit for my experience and I am very excited to use my time and energy to help lead this brilliant school into the next chapter of its history.”
Quick-fire Round
If you could have any talent, what would you choose?
The ability to speak every single language.
What did you want to be when you were younger?
Television newsreader.
What are you currently reading?
The Maid by Nita Prose.
What’s the best place you’ve travelled to and why?
The Serengeti and the Ngorogoro Crater. The scenery and wildlife were mindblowing.
What would your mastermind topic be?
Strictly Come Dancing Series 1 to 21!
What is your favourite food?
Wagamama Yaki Udon
Tea or coffee?
Coffee.
Adventure or relaxation?
Half and half?
What is your favourite rainy day activity?
Sleeping-in, staying in bed reading a book, playing the piano and then slowly cooking a nice dinner with a glass of wine.
What is your most used emoji?
Yellow heart.